"For us, internationalisation and diversification were never abstract strategic slogans”, Manuel Magalhães

SÉRVULO IN THE PRESS 24 Jul 2026 in The Legal Industry Reviews (Portugal)

In an interview, published in the 8th edition of The Legal Industry Reviews (LIR Portugal), Manuel Magalhães, Managing Partner at SÉRVULO, reflects on the decisions that shaped the firm's growth, the indicators that matter most, and where Portuguese law firms are heading.

“For us, internationalisation and diversification were never abstract strategic slogans — they were a direct response to how our clients' needs were evolving”.

“The number that matters more than headcount is retention and the quality of the people we're able to attract. In a sector where the biggest challenge is talent, the fact that we continue to draw strong candidates and keep them here for the long term is, to me, the clearest sign that our strategy is working”.

Looking back over these 25 years, I would say three decisions really shaped who we are today. The first was our founding identity itself. Sérvulo was created at the end of the 1990s, and from the outset we established ourselves as the reference firm for Public Law in Portugal, under the leadership of our founding partner, Professor Sérvulo Correia. His academic rigour and dedication gave us a very strong foundation identity — but we made a deliberate decision not to stay confined to that single practice area. Over time, we evolved into a full-service firm, while never losing that founding DNA of technical depth and close ties to academia.

Read the full interview here